Lawmaker Pushes To Make 'Hang On Sloopy" The State's Official Rock Song

Ohio lawmakers want to make sure the song “Hang on Sloopy” is officially noted in state law as Ohio’s official rock song.

If you thought it already was, you are right….well, sort of. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles has details.

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You can’t go to an Ohio State Football game without hearing the band play it.

'Hang on Sloopy' isn’t just played at OSU. It’s also been played often at other sporting events throughout the state since a Dayton area band, the McCoys, made it popular in 1965. In 1985, the Ohio General Assembly passed a joint resolution to recognize the song as the state’s official rock song. But the son of the lawmaker who sponsored that resolution back then is taking some action now to make sure it’s actually a law. Democrat Mike Stinziano says a joint resolution just isn’t good enough.

MS: It doesn’t carry the same weight. It does create that designation but for it to be in perpetuity to last even longer, it needs to be in the revised code.

And that means it needs to be read into the official state record. So House Reading Clerk Dustin Russell did the honors.

DR: House bill number 283 Representatives Stinziano, Grossman and others….to enact section of the revised code to designate Hang on Sloopy which includes the following lyrics as the official state rock song: "Hang on Sloopy. Sloopy hang on. Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town. All the girls I know, they try to put my Sloopy down. Sloopy, I don’t care what your Daddy do. Don’t you know, little girl, I’m in love with you? Sloopy, let your hair down, let it down on me. C’mon Sloopy, let your hair down girl, down on me. " House bill number 284 (applause fades under)

Now it’s up to Ohio lawmakers to officially approve the Hang on Sloopy bill in both the Ohio House and Senate. Backers of this bill are hoping the issue will strike a chord with legislators on both sides of the aisle so they will pass it, in unison, soon.